Kurdish Culture Research Articles

Objects are not just a thing – (re)negotiating identity through using material objects within the Kurdish diaspora in the UK

Abstract Material belongings have a significant impact on shaping one’s identity, and they play a crucial role as identity markers and valuable instruments for negotiating distinctions among diverse communities, especially for those who experience migration. This research focuses on a specific group of Iraqi Kurdish migrants living in the UK, exploring how they navigate and mould their cultural identity through their cherished possessions. Utilizing a multimodal approach, data collection involved narrative interviews and visual ethnography methods, such as photo voice. The dataset underwent a systematic thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s methodology, leading to an objective and cohesive thematic presentation. The findings underscore the significance of material culture for Iraqi-Kurdish participants in this study. These respondents held deep emotional connections to material objects, linking the landscapes of their past lives to their present experiences in the UK. By cherishing and preserving these possessions, they established a discursive “third space” to express emotions and negotiate their complex “in-between” identities. This term describes a state of dilemma wherein individuals grapple with conflicting senses of identity due to exposure to and affiliation with two distinct cultures. Specifically, it applies to participants who simultaneously value and embrace both their Kurdish culture and identity, as well as their British culture and identity.

Political and Social Obstacles to the Nation-Building Process in Kurdistan Region

The process of integrating people into the political, social, and cultural assimilation of individuals of a nation is known as nation-building, which has caused a number of obstacles for this extensive and multidimensional process. In order to return to the position and policies of the ruling elite and the institutions of the Kurdistan Region, the researcher depends on the qualitative approach in the current study, which focuses on the political and social barriers to the nation-building process in the Kurdistan Region. The key inquiry is therefore: What are the political and social impediments to the process of nation-building in the Kurdistan Region? In order to respond to this question, this research takes into account a number of factors, including the partisan clash and civil war between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, as well as the absence of a comprehensive national strategy that united the nation before it resulted in the emergence of two utterly distinct administrations in the Kurdistan Region. On the other hand, Kurdistan’s nation-building efforts are hampered, according to the researcher, by the use of the two dialects policy, tribal culture, the fragility of civil society, the separation of the nation, and the predominance of foreign languages and cultures in private educational institutions. As a result of these barriers, there is a sharp divide between identity and common culture as well as a division between politics and culture. As a result, in order for the nation-building process in the Kurdistan Region to be successful, it must be kept as a unified political entity free from dual administration, the institution of forces, and the building of a unified language )standard language(, while also requiring private educational institutions to promote Kurdish culture and language in their curricula. It means that the Kurdish language and culture must be emphasized in the curricula of private educational institutions.

The reasons for the emergence of realism in Kurdish culture For example, the story of Rauf Begard

The reasons for the emergence of realism in Kurdish culture For example, the story of Rauf Begard

“Lenin and the Bolsheviks Were All Kurds”: Folklore and Politics in the Soviet Kurdish Culture of the 1920–1930s

To overcome imperial legacy, the Soviet policy after 1917 set itself new guidelines in the field of foreign and domestic policy. Among the policies of the Soviet government in the first decades of its existence was the systematic intensive development of the modern national identity of the non-Russian peoples of the USSR. This included, inter alia, training national specialists and developing a modern educational and cultural infrastructure, but also providing each of the ethnic groups of the USSR with a certain set of modern cultural institutions and products. This canon also included literary works related to Soviet politics which glorified the leaders of the party and the government. All these measures urgently required experts which can provide expertise for efficient implementation of these policies, and therefore contributed to greater flexibility in treating the scholars. Focusing on the cases of N. Ya. Marr and his students O. L. Vilchevsky and A. Sh. Shamilov, this article examines the implementation of the Soviet policy towards the Kurds, including various linguistic and ethnographic projects. Special emphasis is placed on the history of the appearance of Kurdish-language works about Soviet leaders. The work is based on previously unused archival material.

Relationship of History and Music: Traces of Historical Events in Kurdish Music and Evdalê Zeynikê

History comes across as a product of the effort to create social memory, written or verbal. It is based on information and documents and avoids emotional biases. Music, on the other hand, is a multifaceted phenomenon and its aim to entertain shapes it. On one hand, it interprets emotions, and on the other hand it bears the social, cultural and historical codes of the society to which it belongs. For this reason, it is possible to discover specific details of historical events in the kilams/songs of dengbêjs, important exponents of the Kurdish music of orality. This study focuses on unveiling traces of historical events in the songs of the dengbêjs, in context of the relationship between history and music. Information and documents dealing with the Kozanoğlu events in kilam/songs are compared. A good example of the importance of the dengbêjs in Kurdish history is taken from when in the 19th century, the Ottoman state established a military unit called Fırka-i Islahiye as a part of its policy of asserting its full dominance in rural areas, and also to carry out compulsory resettlement policies. In order to support the operation, the Kurdish chief Sürmeli Memed Pasha set out, taking with him under his auspices Evdale Zeynikê, a dengbej singer. However, the Kurdish troops reaching Kozan were defeated due to the climatic conditions and the cholera epidemic. Witnessing all the events, Evdale Zeynikê sang kilam/songs for every stop on the route and on the death of the Pasha. Throughout this account, which is based in Kurdish culture and immured with a strong dengbêj tradition, it is possible to find details of Kurdish history in the kilams/songs of the dengbêjs.

The Social Behaviors and Values in the Poetic of (Qani' and his Heart)

The title of this research is ‘the social behaviors and values in the poetic texts of (Qani and his heart)’. The poetic text has become the scope of this investigation; some social behaviors and values have been taken from the content of the text and compared to the sociologists’ views and religious texts. The content of this study works on the highlighting of social behaviors and values and consists of two chapters: the first chapter includes a summary about Qani and his poems; it covers the biography of the poet and detailed explanation of his poems. The second chapter includes some topics under the title of social behaviors and values in the poems of Qani and his heart which are (human socialization, national feeling, the spirit of cooperation among the individuals of society, the behavior of responsibility, social balance, human simplicity, selfishness, and the philosophy of tools and objectives) are discussed and investigated. And finally we have come to the conclusion that Kurdish culture and literature are full of beauty, and can be studied in many different aspects. All the benefited and used references are available.

The role of mother tongue in early childhood education

This article tries to determine the effect and importance of mother tongue on cultural education in primary schools. Using the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, it investigates the relationship between mother tongue and culture. This research focuses on the language and culture of the Kurdish people in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. The questions of research are: What is the impact of mother tongue on children's culture? Is there a relationship between the mother tongue and the culture, the identity and personality of the children in primary schools? What is more, are the Kurdish language and culture in danger of vanishing? The researcher used mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative, as well as used questionnaires among primary school students in the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This study resulted in the conclusion that the first language has a profound impact on the culture of students in primary schools. In contrast, bilingualism has an impact on children’s distance from their own culture. In addition, three basic points that are concluded in the results of this article are recommended to the government to be implemented in their policy and the education system. Furthermore, the results of this study show that the Kurdish language and Kurdish culture are in trouble now.

Robust Attendance System using RFID and Human Detection by Image Processing

This article analyzes how the Kurdish writer Sherzad Hasan (1951 or 1952-present) addresses patriarchy in his novels and novellas. Many Islamic thinkers try to distance and purify Islam from the unpleasant attributes that existed in culture, Arabic culture particularly. Therefore, Islamic researchers call for better readings and understandings of the Qur'an especially regarding the issues of patriarchy and feminism as for them patriarchy is rooted in the cultures and not the teachings of Islam. Although Hasan acknowledges that men do exploit religion for their interests, nonetheless he intertwines both the culture and Islam together and blames them all together for the patriarchal state of the Kurdish society. Through this perspective, Hasan's works conflate Islam with culture and critically question the results of their effects on the gender roles in the Kurdish society. A selected reading of Hasan's works shows how patriarchy is engraved in Kurdish culture by the forces of the common understandings of religion, Islam specifically. Hasan is one of the Kurdish thought pillars addressing patriarchy and its grave consequences, gender inequalities, and freedom

In Memory of the Eminent Kurdish Scholar Muhammad Mukri

The article is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the prominent Kurdish scholar, researcher of Kurdish and Iranian culture, M.Mukri (19212007). It contains an overview of his major works, the most prominent of which are studies of the Kurdish religious movement known as the Ahl-i haqq, regarded by some scholars as an Islamic sect and considered by some others to be a non-Moslem ethno-confessional community with a rich religious and spiritual literature of its own, written in the South-Kurdish dialect Gorani. In addition, M.Mukri wrote a number of serious works on Kurdish folklore, ethnography and the history of development of Kurdish studies.

An Intellectual on a Mission: Abdullah Jalal Fatah, his dissertation on Kurdish culture (1978) and heritage making inspired by Józef Chałasiński and Polish academia

The paper presents a previously unknown doctoral dissertation prepared in the 1970s in Polish by Abdullah Jalal Fatah under the guidance of Polish sociologist Józef Chałasiński. The thesis, entitled ‘Development and Dissemination of the Kurdish Culture in Iraq’, bears the mark of communist ideology but also of Polish heritagisation, in which culture and intellectuals became an important driving force in the process of nation-building and in seeking international recognition. Following David C. Harvey’s definition of heritage, and focusing primarily on its intangible aspects, we suggest that Fatah’s thesis can be read today as an interesting document of Kurdish heritage-making inspired by Polish experience and academic tradition. Abstract in Kurmanji Rewşenbîrekî bi peywir: Evdila Celal Fetah, teza wî ya li ser çanda kurdî (1978) û mîratsazkirina bi îlhama Yuzêf Xalasînskî û akademisyenên polonî Ev nivîsar tezeke doktorayê ya nenas pêşkêşî xwendevanan dike ku di salên 1970î de, ji hêla Evdila Celal Fetah ve û bi çavdêriya civaknasê polonî Yuzêf Xalasînskî, bi polonî hat nivîsandin. Di bin navê ‘Pêşketin û belavbûna çanda kurdî li Iraqê’ de, ev tez nîşanên bandora îdeolojiya komunîst di xwe de vedihewîne, digel mîratsaziya polonî ya ku çand û rewşenbîr tê de rola hêzeke çalakger û bingehîn dileyizin di pêvajoya netewesazkirin û pesenda navneteweyî de. Li gorî pênaseya mîratê ya David C. Harvey, ku bi taybetî li ser aliyên wê yên neguherbar radiweste, em pêşniyazî vê yekê dikin ku teza Fetah wek belgeyeke balkêş a mîratsazkirina kurdî bi îlhama tecrube û adeta akademîk ên polonî bê xwendin. Abstract in Sorani Rewşenbîrêk be peyamêkewe: ‘Ebdullah Celal Fetah, doktoranamekey le ser keltûrî kurdî (1978) û kelepûrsazî le jêr karîgerî Yuzêf Xallasînskî û ekadimyay pollend de Em nûsîne basî le doktoraname nenasrawekey ‘Ebdullah Celal Fetah dekat ke le sallekanî 1970 da be zimanî pollendî û be serpereştî komellnasî pollendî Yuzêf Xalasînskî bû. Nawnîşanî doktoranameke, ‘Geşesendin û bellawbûney keltûrî kurdî le ‘Êraq’, karîgerî aydyolojyay komînîzim û kelepûrî pollendî le ser diyar e. Têda keltûr û roşnbîran bûn be hêzêkî cullêner bo prosey nîştîmansazî û danpyananî nêwdewlletî. Bepişbestin be pênasey kelepûrî Devîd Harvî we be giringîdan be layene bercestenekrawekanî, pişnyardekeyn ke doktoranamekey nawbraw le êsta da babetêkî benirx debêt leser kelepûrsazî le jêr karîgerî ezmûnî ekadîmyay Pollenda de. Abstract in Zazaki Roşnvîrêko bimîsyon: Ebdullah Celal Fatah, bi îlhamê Józef Chałasińskî akademîsyenanê Polonya tezê ey ê doktora derheqê kulturê kurdan (1978) û mîrasviraştoxîye de No nuşte tezê doktora ke verê cû nêamebî zanayene û 1970an de binê rayberîya sosyologê polonî Józef Chałasińskî de hetê Ebdullah Celal Fatahî ra bi ziwanê polonkî ameyo nuştene, ey pêşkêş keno. Tezê bi sernuşteyê “Îraq de Averşîyayîş û Vilabîyayîşê Kulturê Kurdan” hem wayîrê nîşanê îdeolojîya komunîstan o hem kî yê mîrassazîya polonan o ke tede kultur û roşnîvîrî benê hêzê averşîyayîşî yo muhîm seba prosesê neteweviraştişî û girewtişê tesdiqê mîyanneteweyî. Goreyê tarîfê mîrasî yê Davîd C. Harveyî û bi giranîya hetanê ci yê nemadîyan ser o, ma pêşnîyaz kenîme ke tezê Fatahî yo ke hetê tecrube û edetanê akedemîsyananê polonan ra îlham girewto, ewro sey belgeyê mîrasviraştoxîya kurdan o balkêş bêro wendene.

The Idea of Criticism in Abdullah Pashew’s Poetry

This research consists of two essential parts. The first part presents the theoretical framework of the study; it discusses literary criticism, criticism from the perspective of language, criticism from a theoretical perspective and the purpose of literary criticism. The second part of research sheds light upon the types of criticism in Abdulla Pashew’s poetry such as political criticism, social criticism, criticism at war, and urge for peace. Pashew’s critiques of classism, his urge to revive Kurdish culture, his critique of the world powers for their silence over the Kurdish discrimination have been highlighted. At the end of the research, researchers conclude that Pashew, as a contemporary poet, depicts the real situation of Kurdish society in the 21th century. He has used his poetry to criticize politics and portray the wrongdoings and corruptions of the rulers of Iraqi Kurdistan. His poetry also proves that the rights of Kurdish have been violated.

Culture and values in Kurdish society in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

There is not a lot anthropological research on Kurdish culture, especially in terms of values; Research can hardly be found about "culture and values" subjects particularly when field research methods are used. In spite of the use of written sources, a direct and notes by researchers have been resorted within research field to achieve appropriate objectives and outcomes.  &nbsp

Generosity Maxim in Leech's Theory in Pshdar Area: Socio-Pragmatic Perspective

This paper is entitled ‘’Generosity Maxim in Leech's Theory in Pshdar Area: Socio-Pragmatic Perspective, which aims at showing generosity among individuals including showing generosity in this specific area for the purpose of finding out its roots people, because generosity maxim is minimizing self to others, and indicating such factors as religion, education , non-education, and gender affect the utterance. The principles of politeness which have been recognized by Leech are the Maxim of Tact, the Maxim of Generosity, the Maxim of Modesty, the Maxim of approbation, the Maxim of Agreement, and the Maxim of Sympathy. It is important to bear in mind that this theory focuses on individual face, there are various face threatening acts, for instance the threat can be assumed to the hearer or to the speaker.
 This paper conducts a survey of Pshdaryan district through using a questionnaire as a quantitative method for the purpose of data collection. The participants of this study are the people of Pshdar area who are 162 participants from different classes, genders, educational background, age, and occupation.
 The result of the study showed that generosity is the main reason behind using both direct and indirect offers and invitations. Besides, it showed that the cost-benefit scale can explain the politeness utterance raised in performing these speech acts Finally, it is recommended that other politeness principle maxims are tested in Kurdish culture to know the level of the maxims practically.

لادانی زمانی له‌ نوکته‌ی کوردیدا نوکتەکانی ''نوکتەی شاخ'' بە نموونە

The study is under the title of ´´ Language Deviation in Kurdish Jokes (Nuktey şax as an instance) ´´, which attempts to analyze jokes, from its introduction and composition until discovering the reason of its effect that leaves on the receiver. This is due to the basis of concentration on composing compound words and adapting words, sounds as well as word order. The study assumes that the major characteristic feature of jokes is the deviation and transgression from the ordinary basis, whether it is logical or linguistic. This paper only concentrates on and examines the linguistic deviation. For this purpose, the study takes assistance bases and Grice theory as the measurement to discover the rate of linguistic deviations and how they occur through the two-sided basis in using denotative and connotative meaning and playing with words. The scope of the research work examines the jokes that derive from Kurdish culture and society. In addition, jokes from (Ȓştey mirwarî, Nuktey şax and Gepnamey mȇrguĺan) have been chosen to prove the linguistic deviations.

The Effects of Media Language Using of Comedian Program Audiences of Kurdish Televisions; BEZMÎ BEZM Program at KurdMax TV As A Case Study

This study is an attempt to evaluate the effects of media language misusing in comedian programs of Iraqi Kurdish televisions. To achieve this goal, the researchers have done an online survey with 145 TV viewers; as well as analyzing the thematic contents of 12 episodes of the BEZMÎ BEZM program on the KurdMax satellite channel.
 
 Based on the research results; media language misusing in the BEZMÎ BEZM program has negative effects on viewers of this program, despite the fact that the majority of opinions agreed on the definition of this satellite as a Kurdish entertainment channel and the rates of views of its main programs "Great". However, they also agreed that this program on the KurdMax satellite channel has become a popular platform for insults, exchange of accusations, and defamation of certain personalities and groups in society, and a reason for sabotaging the Kurdish language and its methods, producing linguistic and psychological violence and highlighting gender discrimination. In addition to sabotaging the public taste of viewers, lack of respect for their needs, delinquency of adolescents, reducing the value of artistic work etiquette and educational foundations, and underestimating the family and Kurdish culture and its peculiarities. As for the topics presented in this program, the main goal is to make viewers laugh only and to achieve this; they do not hesitate to spread market language and archaic and patriarchal cultures, encourage gender differences of men and women, social and sexual taboos, defame personalities, neglect health guidelines, and violate professional media ethics. All of the above; represents the main identity of the BEZMÎ BEZM program on the KurdMax satellite channel. As a final point, this research has recommended the relevant people and bodies to subordinate such programs in order to review its content based on legal and ethical media standards, laws, and rules of the Kurdish language, along with abiding professional art principles.

INVESTIGATING FACTORS AFFECTING POOR READING CULTURE AMONG EFL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Reading books has not become a habit among university students in Kurdistan; one can count the good readers in a class with fingers of a hand. This is a big crisis and needs serious work. The problem is demonstrated through the students’ performance and proven knowledge in the academic years and it matters because when the students graduate in the university and during the university academic years they do not have sufficient knowledge that a university student needs to have. This study aims to investigate the factors that affect poor reading culture of the EFL learners in Kurdistan universities. It provides the major factors that affect the reading interest of EFL learners. For this purpose, a questionnaire, and an interview are used. The questionnaire is designed to obtain certain information regarding the learners’ reading culture, environment, factors that motivate and demotivate them. The interview is designed to ask certain questions which are answered by university lecturers and one of them is the director of the general library in one of the universities. Through the study, it was found that reading books has not become a habit among university students in Kurdistan and they have given little or no attention to reading books, and students’ cultural environment demotivates them from reading books. Kurdish culture, lack of role models, and insufficient libraries are among factors of poor reading culture among university students. However, it was found that university libraries are quite sufficient for reading books. Therefore, the results indicate that the reading culture is not at the needed level and students are not used to providing a decent time for reading daily. They spend their free time on other things rather than reading. The findings of this study may serve as reliable data regarding the culture and habit of reading which shows an up-to-date piece of information about one of the great aspects of EFL learners in universities in Kurdistan which is reading culture.

جل و بەرگى كوردى لە سەرچاوە كوردناسییەكاندا

Costume is part of any nation’s civilization and it is one of the distinctive features of any nation and its culture. Costumes are a distinctive feature of national identities of any nation. Kurds as one of the ancient nations in this region were able to preserve their identity despite the eradication or obliteration attempts by other nations and were able to preserve their cultural Costume. Kurdish history records tend to concentrate more on the political status of Kurds rather than their cultural history, however, Kurdologists documented different aspects of Kurdish society, including traditional Kurdish costume in their historical records and their memos. These records are considered authentic and valuable resources for Kurdish history and it also provides an exclusive insight into Kurdish rich and independent culture from the surrounding nations that attempted to obliterate and sideline unique Kurdish culture. Hence, studying the Kurdish costume from the Kurdiologists perspective is crucial to understand the history of Kurdish people. This study attempts to shed lights on the traditional and historical Kurdish costume.

شیکردنەوەی نوکتەی کوردی بەپێی بنەمای هاریکاری

The study is under the title of “Kurdish Jokes Analysis According to the cooperative principle", which attempts to analyze old and new Kurdish jokes from an Assistance basis perspective. It assumes that ancient and contemporary Kurdish jokes affect the type of linguistic deviations with social changes and historical developments, which demonstrate the direction of Kurdish society´s likings and preferences. For this purpose, deviations from accurate bases of Assistance and Grice’s theory has been made the measurement to discover the rate of linguistic deviations and how they occur. The scope of the research gets benefit from jokes that derive from Kurdish culture and society. In addition, 'Ȓiştey Mirwarî for old jokes' and 'Nuktekanî ehol for modern jokes' as contemporary jokes have been chosen to prove the linguistic deviations in order to investigate an accurate comparison between two stages of Kurdish society with data and statistics.

The hybridisation of religion and nationalism in Iraqi Kurdistan: the case of Kurdish Islam

ABSTRACT This paper asks two interlinked questions: 1) How do Kurdish Islamists navigate the dilemma of having to relate to Islamism and nationalism at the same time? 2) Why have Kurdish authorities in Iraq taken steps to centralise control over religious activities since 2014? The paper argues that nationalism and Islamism have a long history of being intertwined in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), a de facto state. Kurdish Islamists, even Salafis, must relate to Kurdish nationalism to keep their followers. But they also believe in the specificity of Kurdish culture and identity, and support Kurdish statehood. The hybridisation of Islamism and nationalism in KRI has gone further since 2014, attributable to new political pressures in the religious field after Daesh. Kurdish political authorities intervene in the religious field by bureaucratising Islam, co-opting Islamic figures and promoting Kurdish Islam. Our argument is that state co-optation of religion is a step in the process towards state- and nation-building, but it is also a way of taking greater control of society. Analysing the Kurdish case, our paper takes an empirical approach informed by contextual and case-sensitive knowledge.

Comparative Research between the science of Mythology and Archeology

This study, under title the Sanhareeb Project of Erbil between Mythology and Archeology, is an analytical and comparative research. Today, sciences tend to approach each other and relations between them more shout out, including humanities and scientific experiments. This is due to fact that it is human being who invents and coins these sciences and utilizes them as well. In realms of time, these sciences are products of human brain, and thus, human mind is centre of all thinking and processing in relations to sciences. Mythology and archeology, as such, are two very ancient and authentic fields of human knowingness, and in that term there is a deep connection between them, or even they complete one and another. This paper attempts to find out that strong tie between Sanhareeb Water Project of Erbil- 681 B.C. and myth of Lovers' Stream. Also, it focuses on their mythical contrasts. This study affirms logic that myth, in many cases, reaffirm historical facts, and in many other cases, figures new things out. These upheavals undergo categories of personality, place, time and event. In addition, myth is known to have always been on a track side of reality and status quo; therefore, they can complete one another. However, myth has a special language of narration, which can be sometimes code-based and full of connotation. Besides, Myth changes time, place, personalities and incidents. That is why a scholar of mythology has to be alert and cautious. The writer of present research, through use of comparative-analytical method, has afforded to establish connections between mythology and archeology in Sanhareeb Water Project and myth of Lovers' Stream. Consequently, some suggestions are proposed to experts and elite of both fields, so that afterwards Kurdish experts will pay more attention to such ideas, and they will serve Kurdish culture and community more.